Cask at Shrewsbury Arms, Stafford. Pours a rich reddish brown with a small off-white head and good lacing. Berry fruits dominate in the aroma. Berries again in the mouth, along with nuts plus traces of biscuits and toffee. Finish is slightly bitter. It’s OK, but nothing to write home about.

Handpull cask at the Old Horse, Leicester. Reddish brown and clear with a big biege head. Big fruit aroma - berries and some cherry character - enveloped by some big metallic/vegetal notes. Sweet, almost cloyingly so. Advertise as a Cascadian red but I'm getting a bucket load of malt, which is no bad thing. A bit of an off note in the finish. Castle Rock have improved quite a lot lately. Unfortunately this isn't one of their better beers.